In a victory for a long-running campaign by a group of birth mothers, Ministers will consider whether the government should apologise for “the pain and suffering that the practise of forced adoption caused many women from the 1960s onwards, and for the policies and practises which caused it". The debate is due to take place on 12 July 2018.

A year ago, the government ruled out a full public inquiry into the practices of forced adoption which prevailed in the post-war years. This has done nothing to stem calls from birth parents and adopted people for an acknowledgement of the wrong that was done to many thousands of them during this period.

In May of this year, the Irish PM apologised to Irish victims of forced adoptions during the last century. Australia made a similar apology in 2013, and there have been calls for the New Zealand and Canada to follow suit. Campaigners believe that it is past time for the UK to do the same.

Carolynn Gallwey of Bhatt Murphy, who has acted for birth parents and adopted adults campaigning for a public inquiry into historical adoption practices has welcomed this development as a possible first step towards recognising the pain and suffering that was caused.